RECRUITING RALLY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 291, 18 May 1915, Page 8

RECRUITING RALLY

AT Till'. TliivVl'KK iiOYAi; STRATiOi-J. iU'N'i;i!i-:i;s Tri:.\i-:i) away. I'MXI-: SI'MKtM! IJV MIL TIOi'.NSIiY. The mighty peat up forces of patriotism found a vent, hot night, a,id a olr.iujer visiting the town might well h.;ve woudere.l 'what had happened (.:) draw what .seemed to be Hie wi.d" pop llMlon of the lown to Hie pariah, of the Thealr.' Royal. It was- patriotism - noihing else,'and it was a crowd worthy of New I'lvmoulli in e-.ery way. Little 1.,- little the assemblage had grown, but. the bulk of the people had accoinpimi "d the procession which started from the I'Miot Street junction with Devon Street, and was composed of lioy Scouts, Cadets, Territorials, .a hi rye eimtingcnt of the Defen.-e liille Club, hMremen from ihe Central and Filzrov Stations, and headed by ihe Citi/.cns' Hand. The scene l.„d;iii'-- towards the town from easlw.uls' was weird and imprc-ive. the torches of the lircmci in two km- lines hialim; coi.'.r and life to the sci :;e. Arr'n.d 'at the theatre, tin- liand played some patriotic airs, am! colored lights ix 11;-tin": on the vast concourse pnuluc'd a memorable effect. In view of the fact Hint it was iinpossib'e to find room in the theatre for a title of those present, the Mayor announced that an overliow meeting would he held in the Coed Templar Hal 1 , and ■1 goodly number proceeded thither. The' theatre itself was densely packed, hundreds being unable to obtain ailulis sion to take part in the patriotic rally

at which Mr. .1. T. M. Ilonisby, M.i'., was the chief spc::k<r. His Wc.rshlo Ih- Mayor (Mr. J. E. H'il.-on) prc-'-ibd, and was supported on the platform by Mr. 1L <ll:ey, M.P., and the members of the local Patriotic Committee. The Boy Scouts, Cadets, and Terrifcirials were ranged around the stage, adding greatly to the appropriate setting of the scene. The proceedings commenced by the audience rising and singing the National Anthem wilh most impressive effect. Mr. Hill-Johnson then sang with exec'lent taste and vocalisation the everpopular favorite ''The Death of Nelson," which evoked hearty applause. Miss Gilbert tbcu gave a capital rendering of "Your King and Country Want You," the sontiinc'it.s of which appealed with telling force to the vast audience, who demanded an encore, the substituted number being "\Ve'\e Come tip from Somerset." Mr. John Tlaslatu then sang "Land of Hope and Glory,'' with line effect, receiving great applause. Mr. Norman Day followed with an artistic rendering of "There's a Land," for which lie received an insistent recall, when he gave ''The S'oeping Camp." Mr. Whyte (YY'aitara) then gave "The Deathless Army.'' Thin came the great spectacular item of the evening, when the girls of the Technical College gave a patriotic finale. After some accurate evolutions by the naval section, there was a march by the military division attired as Highlanders, and these young patriots sang the chorus to Mr. Ilaslam's song ''The Soldier" with charming effect. A cleverly executed sailor's hornpipe by Miss Aileen Whyte, of Waitara, elicited great applause, as did the evolutions of the chorus. At this juncture the crowd took a hand and in a few seconds the strains of "Tipperary" were making the walls reverberate.

By this time, close upon 9 p.m., Mr. Hornsby, who had been addressing an overflow meeting at the Good Templar Hall, had arrived, and the speocli-niaking commenced.

MR. J. T. M. HORNSBY, lI.P. The .Mayor then introduced Mr s lloinsby M.P. for Wairarapa. Mr. llornsby said there was one note he wished to strike before lie began lila speech on matters touching upon the war itself. He wanted to make an appeal to the manhood of the community, lie had heard of a happening at Wanganui, which was to be strongly deprecated. He begged of them to do nothing to soil the British flag. They wanted to be able to say when the war was over that their hands were clean. He appealed to his hearers to he brave, generous and dignilied, or, summed up brichy, to be British, and when they heard fellows talking of taking revenge they should do their utmost to discourage them. They should not lower themselves to the level of the enemy they despised. (Hear, hear, and applause.) The speaker then went on to refer to Napoleon's wish to be a world conqueror, and Britain's part in defeating flint tyrant's projects, and compared him to the present colossus, who believed himself God ordained—Emperor William of Germany. Britain was placed in a similar position to that of a century ago, and as they succeeded then so they would succeed again. (Applause.) The German people bad become obsessed with the idea that the Emperor William was God ordained to become a world conqueror, and unless his hearers fully understood that thev could not understand how the people of that Empire could become imbued with the idea of their infallibility. ' 'For over forty years the German people had been educated and trained upon a basis of gross militarism and they now considered that whatever they did in the course of this world conquest was right. Bernhardi, whose work had been one of the greatest in preparing the German people for this war. hail said that Christianity was based upon the law of love, and with that law. nations had nothing to do. Therefore they could understand why Germany lireke every treaty and cared for no law. They set at nought every teaching that went to the ennobling ~'f humanity. In the defeat of Denmark, when Germany took from that country Schleswig llolstein, which enabled theiii fo construct the Keil Canal. Britain was not free from Maine. This was followed by the defeat of Austria, and subsequently of France. Tn 1870-71 Prussian militarism manifested itself in bringing about the cohesion of several other States. Bismarck was then at the head of affairs i n Germany, and he was a man of blood, but also of iron will and he welded the nation together Hut '

his poli,-;-' did not suit the Emperor, ami tin; latter put tin: jiilot overboard. I'la.VC.'O L'.N'l'KKt'Alil-U. Jn lfiTU I'rauce \\as nut prepared, and ill iliil Mi'.! WilS )l()t I'caUy. iM'nil.C v.as si;.ping nb-inlhc mid forgrUiiig tin; great war niacliiiii; tliat was being uuilL ai. lii'i- \cry door. vVhen urn ..... iout fiance was unprepared as usual. Suae u,. win- in.l ioukcn out (iiTiiiany i ;,.:. aaa.,;;.; oLi.i-i- iinug,, spi-iiL minion's Mono,- i.j.-.i) a ■, re-., cao,pa,g,i, ami I ii'l been iurced upon iicrmahy. He wauled in nail this lie to tin- j'liatl'ol'iu tiiai night. (Applause.) Sir Kdward (.ivy had dour In.-, utmost to sunt

v.ii''. lie liad pledged Jiritain, Franco and Russia t'mu nothing should he, dune to injure (icninmy's interests il' only a e civjicc could he held to settle lli'e dillii'iilty. Thru an insulting ultiniatuni v.as -cnt In- (lenaany to Kussia to deniobilise, while the (leruiau lirst line was [inly mobilised. F.v'ery i.'ther country had promised liritain not lo violaLe liilgiilius eeutralily with the exception of Germany, in an>ivcr to fiance and Kus-ia, Sir Kdward drey had said lie could not pledge liritain'lo assist tlieiu in ea-e o|' war nniil the lirilish Pari .-i----iiicnt had met. lApphiiiM'.) The speaker then read King Albert's (of IVlghie.i) stirring appeal to King lieorgo io safeguard l!e!gium'.s integrity. ft was not. until then that Rritain had demanded froni Cernianv what she had a right lo demand under the treaty, lint (lirman troops were then in Pelgium, and the war had commenced. v. lii'Ms won.i) Hi-: inciiTF-i).

The Carman Chancellor, Heir von ih'thiiuiu-llc.lhvcg, had admitted in the llciehstag thai, deruianv was comniitting a. wrong, but had hinted that they would endeavor to right that wrong as sin n as the military goal had been reached. "Hood Cod!"' exclaimed .Mr. Hornsby, ''how has (lermany made good. I,ei e'.ere wound on the women and children of Jleigium be given tile power io cry out agaiu-f the hifaniy of the (lei-mans. And in the possibility—not probability, but only the possibility—of < lermany proving successful in this great

war how will she make ...rood with the liritish n'opleV If you all think hard about that," said the speaker " vou will all know exactly what to do in'the matter." (Hear, hear, and applause.) Ten years ago anoiher uttcrame was made by the Kaiser. "The trident," he said, ■" must be in our fist. When we have settled accounts with France and Kussia, we shall have to deal wilh England." All this showed the trend of German ideas, In his famous interview with Sir Edward Cosehen, llerr von Hetliman-llollwog, when w:'r was declared, asked somewhat incredulously if it was correct that Britain was going to make war on Germany on account of a scrap of paper. Sir Edward Goschen replied that (he seals of both Germany and Britain were upon that paper. The German then asked if Britain had counted the cost, but the answer he received was that Britain never counted the cost. (Applause.) That was one of the secret's of Britain's greatness. She had always kept her word, and had protected the weak whenever possible. Calling alcntion'to the Union Jack, the speaker detailed its component parts. There were three crosses in the Union Jack, he said, and they had added the cross . 0 f the south—and would stand bv it. (Hoar, hear, and applause.) Why was it that men under that flag would cheerfully die for others? Because it was the emblem of a sacrifice made 2000 years ago by One Who tauffht them the words: "Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friend." That was the true significance of the (lag. The men who had gone to the front were laving down their lives for liberty, justice'and right. G EH'MANY'S MISCALCULATION S.

In commencing the war wlicn she did? Germany calculated on civil war in Ireland; she saw there 400,0U0 Irishmen ready to leap at each other's throats, 'but Irishmen had already shown the Herman Kmperor that he had,made a big mistake. (Applause.) India, they said, was seething was rebellion. Canada wanted her independence; the Canadians have shown what sort of independence they wanted. (Applause.) The British Army they had described as a contemptible thing. Emperor William had said that lie'hoped his Bavarians would meet them and trample them ill the dust. By a coincidence, the Bavarians were the first to meet the British Expeditionary Force, and what happened? They (led before the bayonets ot the contemptible little army that would not he trampled in the dust. (Applause.) The personnel of the British Navy, the Germans considered, was no good! The story of the war, remarked Mr. llornsby, would never be properly known. The lonely watches throughout the winter gales e'alkrl upon all the endurance of those brave men of the navy, and their record had n*7cr been beaten—not even in the days of Xelson. The Germans had worked everything out very nicely, but there was an old and familiar proverb—a French one—"Man proposes, hut Clod disposes.'' The Germans wore going to strike a blow at Paris in a lew days. And it would have been done but for Belgium. Many people were walking about free that day tnrough the gallant resistance put up by the Belgians Jißiunst the German hordes during those Hx weeks, during which time the British Expeditionary 'Force was landed and General JolTre had time to put the I'rench Army in something like order After referring to the landing of the British troops, the speaker said for three days and three nights they held up eight times their number and prevented the enveloping movement of the Germans, which", had it been successful would have rolled up the French lArmy. I hose Britishers saved the French Army Und I am sure yon are going to do so. '

CEMIAX ATROCITIES. (Vila half of tlm cruelty that was written (if the ticrmans true? He believed that no man was able to describe the terrible atrocities perpetrated by the Hermans. The North American Indians Wore gentle compared with the' Hermans. If his audience was composed of men of mature, years, he could not tell them of what he had read in documents received by tile Belgian Consul in Wellington; facts which were conlirmed by Sir .rohn lSryce. These horrors had almost become articulate and cried out *o them. They were not done in the heat of passion. The (lermans carried with them scientific and specially prepared apparatus for the destruction of towns and cities. The world would never forgive the Oermans for the dentruetion of Lonvain, its wonderful old buildings and priceless literature; which was destroyed through nothing hut spite and malevolence. He was unable to appeal to his audience as lie would like

Tiny had K iv(Mi. nn.l oivon nobly, hut had not vet tfiven cnoupjt. He called on tlie.ni to make yet yrcator sacrifices, mi'ii of liclfriiini their peace of mind; tlif.v could not -live back to "tin- widows their liii-liiimls, but tile)- could render '.hem much assistance.

Hie speaker then said lie would showwhy Ccnnany hud dune these tiling. ■' ; '■> ii'i.Jil la- a. !'iii-i.-tl;:ii nation, hut t!:c prcdominutin"' factor in tin' iiati.mai hie was ii vicious s\sicm which dchu-n-amsod fl„. manhood „f (ho coi.-.j.-. Il.i referred to the hnital .system in I'oirue in the 'Herman army under which lire men were Mihjocl.'d 'to blows and other er.ielties from their of. hears. What, he asked could be expected from men inured to iriicll.y when their b'ood became hcalc I with -stronj,' drink and thev were, set an by their otliccrs to do most horrible things. They might be, and doulitl.-s Lee, educated and scic-ntilie. but their nature* laid become bnitalised, and the,' bad reverted to tin. (vp,. n F their Avria'n arK-estors. lb- hoped that the inen' who had directed the atrocities miehl be tot hold of iirter the war ami dealt; with as tbey deserved, the onlv I him; Unit was fit for them heing a cord and :i high tree.

WHY IiKCIUTI'S Alil'l NKEDKI). Why, he, asked, was he urging the young men uf Taranaki to go to the; war? Long before lie knew New Zealand he had heard of the brave settlers o/'Tarafiaki who had upheld the glorious si-ii.litioiis 01 tin! race I'rum which thev hail sprung, and the people of the district at the. present tune were enjovin" Hie fruits ol the bra\c deeds of ' t,.', pioneers in the 'Taranaki war. Today [!'(• two races were living in harmony together because the Hritish ihig was making them better friends. He -appealed for reeruils because every man who went, to the trout now Would ,-a.c 11 hundred lives, for the longer the war aisttd the neater would be the loss of lib'. Moreover, every man who join■d the expeditionary forces now v.'ou.d help Lord Kitchener to bring his army ap to the reiplired strength. " Kitchener

..'[j-.iiii':l three millions of iii'me.'l Britishers to enable him to dictate the ne-M'.-::rv terms ol' -peace. Lire we not, aired t.:e speaker, going to demand that never again in Die history ol tlu: world .shall one man be able to plunne l.be whole world into blood and tears' It' Kit< honor got the three million men i.e asked for, he would be able to se!i::e tiie triumph of the ilnjr, and get fr<-e-!<;;ti, truth and right to prevail. ..e 'i'-.rw i..e hearts of the young men ol I'-.ir.i:•:'..<! were in (he right place. If the love of home was keeping tiiem nack, let them consider what avail tnat love would he if the Allies failed in their task. He knew of a ease at Woodville where in the cemetery were the graves of all lnii one of a family, yet the widow, Knowing that the remaining sou wished to go to the war, had gent his kit to the station 0 f the. town where the son was working, and in a letter to her only lioy she had said: "I know you want to go. Go, and Cod bless you." in another case (at Wavorlcy)" a mother had five sons at the Dardanelles, and .lot had she seven more she would be billing to give' them all to the service of the .Empire. He knew that there were mothers in Now Zealand who were, now lamenting the loss of their hoys, but they were proud of the honor. There was. he said, a man well known in this district (Ned Wilson), who had n chemist's business in Masterton, but, being unable to find a .purchaser before he went to the war, he just walked out of 'e ti'tsiiiess and laid down his life at the Dardanelles for.his country and the honor of the (lag. That was how tile war came home to us; we had to pay the price, but the men who win through will be looked upon as the greatest 'or the nation, for they will have given a hand towards the making of a binding covenant tnat never again will there he such a war of aggression. In conclusion, lie made an eloquent appeal for the young men of Taranaki to offer their services to the Empire. (Loud cheers.) On the motion of Mr. Johnstone seconded by Mr. H. Okcy, MJP., a resolution was passed, unanimously expressing the opinion that the time had come for every man of military age, who was lit, to offer his services to the defence forces.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to iMr. ITornsbv, and three cheers were given for the men at the front.